


forget laughter is the best medicine, just shutting up will do

by protag



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, M/M, attempted trans nazuna reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 05:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19419319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protag/pseuds/protag
Summary: Shu isn't feeling so well so Nazuna tries to help him take his mind off it.





	forget laughter is the best medicine, just shutting up will do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nazuniichans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nazuniichans/gifts).



"Put these on." Nazuna didn't waste any time holding out sweatpants with a matching baggy sweater.

Shu had never been more offended in his entire life.

"I am not dressing in that abomination."

"... Oshisan." Nazuna's tone of voice made it very clear he didn't want to get into this argument. 

After all, it would just be one of many they'd had that day. Nazuna needed to pester him too much to get him to stop arguing and finally agree to joining him at his house.

So why was Nazuna bothering in the first place?

"I just don't see how it will help." Shu said, muttering under his breath.

The shorter of the boy's expression remained unamused and he didn't make any move to retract the clothes.

Shu uttered some phrase to himself and by the luck on his face Nazuna figured Shu should have been considering himself lucky that he couldn't understand.

With Shu finally giving in, Nazuna had directed him to his bathroom with the clothes. Shu reluctantly stepped off to do as told, Nazuna using the time they were apart to set up his lounge room for them to use.

He'd bought some snacks, grabbed blankets and made sure the couch was set up with enough pillows for them to adjust as they liked to get comfortable.

Without waiting on Shu, Nazuna had set himself down on the couch, using the remote to flick through different movie options only pausing when Shu slinked out to join him in the room.

Shu was so obviously displeased, holding his arm to his body as if for comfort. Mademoiselle had been left at the door - Shu was being plenty agreeable despite the many arguments. 

As if it was a reward for his patience Nazuna smiled at him, bright and welcoming. It was a sight Shu was certain he could never tire of. It was no longer as rare as it once felt but his smile was still so powerful that he was brought to the verge of tears.

Nazuna patted the spot beside him, Shu grimaced slightly but took the direction, sitting on the couch awkwardly. Naturally, it hardly met his standards for beauty either but having Nazuna on it was a plus.

Nazuna sighed, wanting to argue and tell Shu to get more comfortable than that but it wouldn't be fair to fight him every step of the way when he was already outside his comfort zone.

"I know you don't like it I just… I think if you give it a minute it might work." Nazuna said, making Shu look at him puzzled.

"It's just." A pause to gather his thoughts.

"Even though baggy clothes aren't pretty or anything they hide your body. So even if it's just for a little while it can make it easy to forget about the parts you don't like." Nazuna explained, his smile shrinking a little but Shu appreciated the expectation.

"I feel like I look like garbage." 

Nazuna jumped in his spot when he'd been answered like that. So sarcastically, so quickly.

With a frown on his face Nazuna retorted, "Oshisan I'll punch ya."

"Such brutish talk… No doubt you've learned it from Kiryuu."

"Hey! Leave Kuro-chin out of it.!" Nazuna scolded, whacking Shu's head with a cushion.

An immediate horrified gasp left the other boy. Nazuna almost regretted it not wanting the lecture but it was just a little cute to rile him up like that.

Shu was offended still but decided to not argue more, lips curved into a pout. 

"I am genuinely not feeling any better by… Dressing so out of character. Even if it's only in your eyes… No, especially because it is you, Nito, to be anything less than perfect…" Shu put the words together, doing better at expressing it this time. 

Patient and understanding Nazuna nodded, moving and pushing at Shu so he was sitting on the couch comfortably more comfortably, cuddling into the taller boy's side.

"My eyes aren't on you. But I am here with you. Oshisan, nah, Shu. When you're body isn't exactly how you want it can be a lot. Trust me when I say I understand even if not for the same reason so… Even if forgetting about how you look for a while doesn't work I want you to know that I'm here. No matter how you look."

Nazuna spoke, hesitation limited but still present. Like he'd said, he already wasn't looking at Shu but at the screen. That didn't keep Shu from looking down at him.

The perfect, beautiful Nazuna he'd always adored. The boy who stopped turning away from him only by choice. Would he ever be able to understand him?

Shu couldn't keep frowning, but his mouth was still settled in a firm line. Nazuna had the kind of beauty he could only dream of. To be small, pale and put together delicately. Like a doll… A perfect picture of eternal youth.

Common sense told him Nazuna would age too, a part of being human that made Shu feel sick. Even if he wanted to pretend that he was managing to be okay most days, imagining any kind of future was well beyond him.

Anything outside of creating everlasting beauty was not something he intended on considering even for a moment.

Those warm, lovely, innocent red eyes flickered back to Shu, finally unable to just ignore the stares. While Nazuna wanted to be understanding it had been too much to ignore, he sighed when Shu returned a quizzical look.

Nazuna prodded, "You're meant to be watching the movie with me."

Shu's at least humoured looking over at the screen. The movie seemed a decent pick, it was black and white, in French too. Shu couldn't immediately place the title but it was obvious Nazuna had been thinking about his preferences.

"Nito can I ask why? Why it is you could feel uncomfortable.. Uncomfortable with how you look to the point of hating being called cute?" Shu asked, worry growing when Nazuna chewed over his bottom lip in thought.

It wasn't the easiest thing to talk about even when he had invited Shu over in empathy.

"There's a lot to answering that."

Straightforwardly responding at all was a good place to start. For once in his life Shu didn't need to be told to stay quiet and listen, waiting for Nazuna's response. 

"The way that people wanted to view me… It isn't right. I'm not a cute doll. I'm a proud man. I- I won't let what others want to force me to be control me." 

Nazuna's voice was firm, Shu naturally felt guilt. He was one of those people who made Nazuna feel so strongly after all. He just wanted to appreciate him but it just wasn't meant to be.

"Nito-" 

Shu was quickly cut off. Nazuna shook his head.

He was quick to wave off any words Shu might have tried to say. "We're past that. You know better."

"There's just been lots of other stuff." It was a big sigh from a little body. 

Regardless Nazuna seemed to have made up his mind on what he wanted to say.

"I just know how it feels being born into a body that goes… Completely against what you want. I'm the last person who is going to judge. There's no easy answer, but sometimes just thinking about anything else helps."

Nazuna was smiling at him cutely, the affection made Shu's heart flutter even though that obviously wasn't the point. Nazuna rolled his eyes, leaning up any way and kissing Shu's cheek. 

"I said stop thinking so much." Nazuna scolded, doing a terrible job at hiding the pink on his face as he stubbornly went and faced the TV again.

Shu laughed, a low laugh that only embarrassed his partner more and had him reaching to throw more pillows at him.

**Author's Note:**

> honestly i'm not confident in writing Shu or Nazuna but I wanted to give them a try for something small and indulgent.


End file.
